HC Deb 24 June 1963 vol 679 cc927-31
23. Mr. McBride

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for the employment of school-leavers in Swansea; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Whitelaw

Out of 522 boys and girls who left school after the Easter term, 14 (or 2.7 per cent.) were still registered for employment on 10th June. The comparable percentage for Great Britain on that date was 3.0. The Youth Employment Service is doing all it can to find suitable jobs for the unemployed young people.

Mr. McBride

Is the Minister aware of the serious position that will arise in Swansea at the next school leaving date when 1,900 pupils, mainly in the 15 to 16 age group, will leave school? Is he further aware of the high proportion of unemployed under 18, which emphasises the danger of young people taking dead-end jobs instead of obtaining apprenticeships? Has the hon. Gentleman any positive message to give the young people of this great Welsh borough?

Mr. Whitelaw

As regards positive measures, I think that they are very clear in the Government's White Paper on Industrial Training and in the Industrial Training Bill which will follow it. I am aware of the position with regard to school-leavers at the end of the summer term. What I have to say to the hon. Gentleman, and what gives some modest reason for hope, is that there were 522 school-leavers at Easter, and that of these only 14 have not yet been placed in first employment.

Mr. McBride

Does the hon. Gentleman realise the seriousness of the situation in relation to the future potential in Swansea for young people who, denied opportunity, will leave for Birmingham? Does the hon. Gentleman realise that in the last full year's report of the Youth Employment Officer only a minute proportion of boys secured apprenticeships and that the situation for girls was exceedingly worse? Can the hon. Gentleman say anything that will give some hope to the young people of Swansea?

Mr. Whitelaw

I think the hon. Gentleman will agree that there is a considerable diversity of commercial and industrial employment there. As regards apprenticeships, anything that anyone in this House or elsewhere can do to encourage employers to take more apprentices, pending the introduction of the Industrial Training Bill, will be appreciated.

30. Mr. W. Hamilton

asked the Minister of Labour how many school-leavers were unemployed in Fife at the latest convenient date; and how many pupils are expected to leave school at the next school leaving date.

Mr. Whitelaw

114 school-leavers were unemployed on 10th June. About 2,300 boys and girls are expected to leave school this summer.

Mr. Hamilton

Can the hon. Gentleman tell us where these young people are to get work when they leave school? Is he aware that, despite the fact that the West Fife area in particular was scheduled as a development district, in the last three years of the operation of the Local Employment Act we have lost 2,000 jobs and gained 450? If this trend continues, the prospects for these young people are extremely grim. Can he tell us what urgent and immediate steps the Government are taking to give them hope?

Mr. Whitelaw

I think the hon. Gentleman is well aware of the considerable energy that the Government have put into trying to get more jobs and more firms to Fife in view of what is certainly accepted to be a difficult employment situation there. The question of youth employment is certainly far from satisfactory. Nevertheless, there were 1,131 school-leavers during and at the end of Easter term, and of these 80 are still registered for first employment. This shows that quite considerable numbers have obtained employment.

31. Mr. Millan

asked the Minister of Labour how many school-leavers were unemployed in Glasgow at the latest convenient date; and how many pupils are expected to leave school at the next school leaving date.

Mr. Whitelaw

In the City of Glasgow, 104 school-leavers were unemployed on 10th June. Between 7,500 and 8,000 boys and girls are expected to leave school this summer.

Mr. Millan

Is the Minister aware that there is a good deal of apprehension about employment opportunities for these young people, particularly for boys, in apprenticeship? Is the Ministry making any special effort to ask employers to take on apprentices this year when the numbers leaving school are so very high?

Mr. Whitelaw

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that there has been an appeal from the chairman of the Industrial Training Council. My right hon. Friend has appealed, and again today, in answer to the hon. Member for East Ham, North (Mr. Prentice), I made a similar point, that the more any of us in this House can do to encourage employers to take on more apprentices the better. Concerning the position in Glasgow, there were nearly 3,400 Easter term leavers, and one has to look at the figures of those still unemployed against that background.

Mr. Bence

The hon. Gentleman has reiterated the statement that we should encourage firms to take on more apprentices, but is he aware that for some time some apprentices in Scotland have been working on short time—an extraordinary phenomenon—and that there is great difficulty in recruiting apprentices in many sections of Scottish industries which, under Tory administration, are in decline?

Mr. Whitelaw

I do not accept that last sentence for a moment. The hon. Member knows as well as I do that there are clear signs of the economy expanding again. Here is an opportunity for employers to take on more apprentices. That is why it is well worth while encouraging them to do so.

36. Mr. J. Robertson

asked the Minister of Labour how many school-leavers were unemployed in Renfrewshire at the latest convenient date; and how many pupils are expected to leave school at the next school-leaving date.

Mr. Whitelaw

Forty-six school-leavers were unemployed on 10th June. About 1,870 boys and girls are expected to leave school this summer.

Mr. Robertson

Is the Minister aware that but for the considerable pressure brought to bear upon Government Departments it was the intention to reduce the intake of apprentices into the Royal Ordnance Factory at Bishopton? Will he bring to the attention of the other Government Departments the need to increase the number of apprenticeships there? Does not the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the Youth Employment Service is overworked and understaffed and is hardly able to do the job for which it was designed? Will he look into the question?

Mr. Whitelaw

I am grateful to the hon. Member for giving me the opportunity to say that the attention of all Government Departments has been drawn to the need to increase the number of apprentices, and that they are doing their best. As for the second part of the supplementary question, I do not think that I could accept such a general statement as that; but I will consider what the hon. Member has said.

Mr. Prentice

With regard to this Question and other recent ones, does the hon. Member agree that this is a particularly serious situation, in view of the fact that we are still within the bulge of school-leavers which will affect Scottish areas this year? Will he specially look into the question of the staffing of the Youth Employment Service in the coming months, and also consider whether the Industrial Training Council could have more training development officers in Scotland, bearing in mind that when I last asked about it I was told that there was only one full-time officer in Scotland? Will he look into the matter to see whether, between now and the school-leaving date, some further help can be provided for these areas?

Mr. Whitelaw

I will certainly consider what the hon. Member has said.